Combined boiling, washing, condensing, and drying machine



Jah: 19,1926.

V J. w. BowERBANK COMBINED BoILING, WASHING: CONDENSING, AND DRYING MACHINE l AFilecl April 5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J/YVENTOR.'

Jan. 19 1926. 1,570,552

J. W. BOWERBANK COMBINED BOILING, WASHING, ooNDENsING, AND DRUNG MACHINE Filed April 5. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 glia 4 ZUNVE/VTOR.'

passes through outlet pipe 4 into the chamber casing and quickly heats same. Articles to be dried are placed on carriers or in racks 28 of Wire mesh upon a suitable frame secured to the shaft 14, and rotated at intervals by means of the vdriving pulley 20. Air is thus drawn by the lfan into the chamber through perforations 9 (the door 7 being closed), over the wet articles and through perforations 12 into contact with the fan 16 and cover 24C. The moisture taken up by the air from the articles during its passage through the drying chamber is condensed upon. the fan and cover 24 and runs down upon the top 11 to perforations 12 and thence into the gutter 13. A small conduit 29 removes the accumulated water from the gutter into the casing walls 5, where vit ultimately finds its way back to the boiler. To prevent the accumulation of condensation water on top of the pulley 17 a bore 30 is formed therein to drain the water on to the top plate 11, and a small conical cap 31 beneath the vent 25 assists in running off the water. As a result practically no steam escapes into the atmosphere.

The steam entering` the bottom of the casing is divided into two vor more streams by means of partitions, such as stout wires X filling the gap between the walls and passing up the sides, and in this manner the chamber is heated equally on all sides. The steam is condensed on the vcasing walls and runs continuously into the bottom and through orifice 10 down pipe 4 and lid 3 back into the boiler. The water seals used at the junction of the lid and boiler and 'the pipe 4 and orifice 10 are kept continually full of water which overflows inwardly. as is shown in my aforesaid co-pendingapplication. This arrangement enables the lid 3 to be readily removed when desired and replaced correctly without difficulty. Any excess water may be removed by a tap in the bottom of the boiler.

The machine 'can be readily taken to pieces, and adjustment between the boiler and dryer is provided by adjusting nuts 32 and slots in the legs 34 of the dryer attached to the boiler. The `cross bars 35 of the dryer frame may be used for airing the clothes.

An alternative method of supporting the clothes in the drying chamber is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Radial vertical racks 36 are fitted around the shaft 14 and may be readily detached or afiixed as desired.

It is evident that by this machine the boiling` of water and washing and drying of clothes or other articles may be effected by a single source of heat and without the escape of large volumes of steam, and considerable economy is thereby effected.

I claim:-

1. A boiling, washing, condensing` and drying machine, comprising in combination, a boiler, means for heating said boiler, water circulating means within said boiler, a drying chamber, means for heating said chamber by the steam and waste heat from the boiler', means for returning condensation water to the boiler, and means for ventilating said drying chamber and articles therein. v

2. A boiling, washing, condensing and drying machine, comprising in combination, a boiler, means for heating said boiler, Water circulating means within said boiler, a drying chamber for the washed articles having a double walled casing, passages in said casing in communication with the steam 4outlet of the boiler, means for returning to the boiler steam condensed in said casing, a hollow shaft in said casing to take the waste heat from the boiler' heating means, and means for Ventilating said drying chamber and articles therein.

3. A boiling, washing, condensing and drying machine comprising in combination, a boiler, means for heating said boiler, water circulating means within said boiler, a drying chamber for the washed articles having a double walled casing, passages in said casing in communication with the steam outlet of the boiler, means for returning to the boiler steam condensed in said casing, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, means on said shaft for carrying the articles to be dried, a fan mounted on said shaft, means for rotating said shaft to ventilato said chamber and articles, and means for conducting waste heat from the boiler heating means to said hollow shaft.

4. A boiling, Washing, condensing and drying machine, Vcomprising in combination, a boiler, means for heating Asaid boiler, water circulating means within 'said boiler, a drying chamber having double side vwalls 'and bottom in communication 'with the steam outlet of the boiler, a perforated top to vsaid chamber, a hollow rotatable shaft 'extendin'gthrough said chamber, means on said shaft to ycarry articles to be dried, a `fan on said shaft adjacent said perforated top, a vconical detachable cover above said fan, a gutter disposed beneath the perforations in said top, means for conducting the `condensation water from said gutter and casing to the boiler, and means for conducting waste heat from the boiler heating means to said .hollow shaft.

5. A boiling, washing, condensing and drying machine, comprising in combination,

a boiler, means for heating said boiler, water circulating means within said boiler, a cylindrical drying chamber having 'a double walled casing, communication between said casing and the steam outlet of 'the boiler, a slidingdoor to said casing, a'perfora'ted top to said chamber, a hollow rotatable shaft extending through said chamber, a plurality of racks on said shaft to carry the articles to be dried, a fan on said shaft extending above the perforated top, a pulleymounted on said shaft, a belt passing round said pulley and over guide pulleys on the eX- terior of the easing, a driving pulley Ior said belt pivoted upon the machine frame, a conical detachable cover aboversaid fan,

a gutter disposed beneath the perforations in said top, means for conducting the condensation water from said gutter and cas- 10 ing to the boiler, and means for conducting Waste heat from the boiler heating means to said hollow shaft.

JOHN WAINWRIGHT BOWERBANK. 

